Not Feeling Like Myself
by OrangeBoxFox
Summary: One again, Eggman his reappeared with a master plan for world domination! Our team, ready for another round of cat and mouse are left far under prepared when they arrive at the evil layer in hopes of merely saving Cream. Yet when the mission ends with a boom of rubble and surprise, a missing Sonic, they will be in for the shock of their lives when the hero returns, looking..off..
1. Saved by the Bell?

**Sooo..**

I feel like giving my hand at a Sonic story.  
I've been cooking this up for a while and hopefully it is written as awesome as it sounds in my head. This is the first full story/adventure fic I've written. (Hint: Not to good at writing plots and holding up twists and such. Filler content...)

Anyways, I have no idea if there will be a relationship for Sonic or any of the characters in this story yet. Though it may develop later on, I suppose. Also one might note that I put it as a genre of Adventure and Humor. The first two chapters I admit are not to filled with Humor, more drama. But don't worry, it will come later my chibis

;P it will come later. Anywho, hope you enjoy and let me hear your input! Don't care what it is just don't burn me alive god x_x...

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**Chapter One  
**Saved by the Bell

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There was nothing that could rival the feeling he got when he was running. Feet pounding into the ground to make way for his next step. The sound of the wind whistling past as it tugged at his body was music to his ears. Sometimes he would close his eyes and tilt his face up to greet the bright sun as he dashed along the earth. Hands splayed open as if to catch the air and use it to lift him up like a glorious pair of wings. When he was running like that, he was truly free. Not a thing could touch him not even if they tried. A piece of spirit that was absolutely untouchable and able to roam where ever he pleased. Nothing but a blur of pure motion at its most innocent state...

That's what this certain blue hedgehog wished for right now. Only he was far more unfortunate. "Hey Sonic! Were you even listening to me at all?" the other asked, her voice sharp with the edge of warning. The creature in question jumped straight up at the sound of his name. Straightening his posture on the flip of a coin. "Uhh.." Pushing out of the previous one which had been him slouched into his hand, eyes staring dazed into the sky which was hovering just above their heads. Out of his reach.

"Yea! Sure I was Amy. Why wouldn't I be listening to what you were saying? Especially when I know how much you hate being ignored. Its rude..and such." he blabbered, leaning back when Amy squinted her eyes at him with a dangerous glint. As cute as the pink little female could be she had an extremely hot head. Known to swing her weapon of choice, a rather large hammer, at anyone who had annoyed her. Which most of the time was Sonic. His nature to run from her advances always proved to fire up her attitude. Frankly, Amy scared him a bit. But could you blame the guy? She had a freaking hammer twice his size! To top it off, it was pink. Embarrassing to be knocked out cold with something that was pink.. Wielded by a girl.

"Uh-huh..Well If you were listening to me. Then what was the last thing I said?" she asked, tilting her face down which only proved to give the girl a more nerve wracking look. Sonic swallowed while turning his face away, eyes rolling up. "I...uhh, you were just going to say something about how you got your n-" saved by the bell! Or in this case, Tails.

The yellow fox's habit of bursting in with some sort of exciting news was greatly appreciated. Sonic even went as far as to let out a exaggerated sigh of relief as his best friend came bounding up the hill side with his arms waving. "Sonic!" he called, begging for the blue hedgehog to comply which he did without hesitation. Jumping up onto his feet with an action that wrinkled the soft blanket below he grinned. Flashing that trademark smile, "Tails!" he echoed back, waving his right hand in greeting. The effort of running obviously proved unsatisfactory for Tails for no sooner had he skipped a beat at the acknowledgment from his best friend had the fox taken to the air. His tails spinning in a rate that allowed him to hover. Not that Sonic admitted it much but he envied the brainy fox for his ability to fly like that. How cool would it be to go as fast as the speed of sound while flying? Down right awesome that's how..

"Tails, you look like you ran a marathon." he pointed out, stating he obvious which earned him a scowl and a mild shove from Amy. Could the blockhead not see that something was, off? As Sonic recovered Amy crouched in front of the equally hunched fox. Waiting a moment for him to catch his breath before speaking.

"Whats up Tails?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side a bit. Gulping a final breath the creature stood up. Slapping his gloved paws against his fur to shake the dusty debris he spoke.. "We got a problem." as soon as the words had left his mouth Sonic was up front and center. Pushing his way to stand beside Amy whom of which stuttered out a gasp from the sudden contact. They were both shoulder to shoulder and silently playing for the brainy Tails attention. "A what I believe to be an Eggman problem.." he informed, flicking his eyes down as Amy dramatically slouched in depression. Not again! Why did that creep always have to go and ruin everything. Especially when she and Sonic were having such a nice time, a date of all things. She had finally managed to wrangle Sonic in by the reins so to speak. Getting the anxious boy to chill out and agree to just come at least enjoy lunch together once. She had even picked his favorite spot to. The wide open fields that spread along the outer edges of the more wooded area in Mobius. A terrain that had no barriers or obstacles which gave the super speed running creature plenty of room to run until his heart was content! Which appeared to be never she noted with a sigh. Sonic lived up to his reputation like a champ. As hard to hold onto as sound itself. Here one moment but drifting away quickly enough to leave you cupping at your ears in attempt to keep it. Drooping her eyes into a bored expression Amy was content to watch the boys banter about. Tails slapping at Sonic as he fussed in between bubbles of laughter over the yellow fox's appearance. His words occasionally would be forgotten from actions until a certain name was picked up.

"Wait Cream!" she blurted, stepping past the blue male to get closer to Tails from which she grabbed by the shoulders. "What happened? Did that bastard take Cream!" she demanded. Tails blinked in surprise at the new term, ears twisting back while his bright blue eyes shifted downwards. "I don't know..i dont know what he wants." he started, voice lowering as if talking to an frightened animal. Ha, frightened animal. "I went over to her house to ask if she wanted to try out these new bows I crafted for her but she wasn't there when I arrived. In fact no one was not even cheese." he glanced over at Sonic as he made a noise of disapproval. Throat grumbling in a worry that matched the expression written all over Amy's. She had dropped away in favor of retreat. Pressing a knuckle into her lips, folding her other arm over her chest In a protective manner. It wasn't uncommon knowledge that Amy and Cream were close companions. Near siblings minus the same last name was all. So her reaction wasn't surprising in the least. But it still made Tails feel horrid for her. Sympathetic with the knowledge of having experienced something of the same. Often in fact for every time their team was split while out in the dangers of some master minds plot Tails worried.

"When was the last time we saw her?" the leader worthy voice questioning, breaking the cloud of gloom that had settled over their heads. Both Tails and Amy fell into a short moment of contemplation before some idea was offered. "I saw her just yesterday, we went out for breakfast." the pinked hued girl stated. Why hadn't she been there to keep the bunny company?

Looking from the fretting girl he got much of the same answer from the other. Nodding Sonic grinned, "Great, then we can catch up to him." he sounded confident. Though he always sounded that way. Raring to go head first into the dark without a moment of hesitation he did. Reaching out and slapping his hand on Amy's shoulder he offered a far softer grin. Eyes surprisingly reassuring when one looked past the excited glint flickering about his gaze like a blaze of green fire. "Don't worry, we'll get Cream back. Its just Eggman...what can he possibly throw at us that he hasn't already right?" he assured, raising the teams moral a bit. Sonic was right, what could that evil genius do that he hadn't already done before?

"If we work as a team then we'll come out on top for sure! No sweat!" he snapped, clicking his fingers together before resting his hands on his hips. That's right, he was Sonic. And they were Knuckles, Amy, Tails...  
Eggman would no doubt be foiled again with the four of them working together. Just like always.._In Fact, I bet I can bust through his defenses better then Knuckles can! _he mildly joked.  
Though just under this façade he felt a twinge of worry. Cream was in trouble, one of his friends. While it was something they had faced many times before he worried.

Every since meeting the timid Rabbit it was obvious that she was a respectable young lady even at her young age of six. Sonic could remember how awkward he had felt when she spoke such, polite words. Calling him Mr. Sonic out of the protocol one might use when being respectful. Something he later learned was taught to Cream by her mother Vanilla. A stern but fair lady who had a heart of gold just like her daughter. She was a loyal member in the group and one that all of its elders took care in looking after. She was like the group mascot really. Always there to offer motivating words when the odds looked to heavy for them to push back against.

"Your the first ones I've come to so we should go see Knuckles as well." Tails broke in, pointing out that he hadn't told the bundle of muscle yet. Sonic laughed, "I bet he hasn't noticed anything that lump." swiveling around on his foot until his back was facing them. Well, it was eggman and knowing him..  
"OR maybe he has already seen the loony bin!" he pondered. "Knowing Eggman he is going after the Emeralds again so I bet he already visited Knuckles. Yea.." nodding to confirm his idea over the subject Sonic started off. Wobbling down the hill in a more then ridiculous manner while rambling away. "If he did how come he hasn't said anything. Sharing is caring ya know and I want some action. God, I cant believe...I wanted..." words drifting until the wind carried them away.

Tails sighed, shaking his head and peeking at Amy from between his fingers. "I have a feeling this will end badly.." with that he followed the blue being none the less.

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**Alright, chapter one!**

It was short but i just wanted to introduce the startings of the plot. It seems a bit cliché but hold out for me dears, it will get better.

P.S: Also, forgive me if the characters come out a bit OOC. I have been reading up on my Sonic trust me and i wish to portray them to the best of my ability. Even if the dialog isn't to great. ^^;;  
Anyways, R&R if you so please. Any input is welcomed!


	2. The Break Down

**Disclaimer: I, OrangeBoxFox, DO NOT OWN SONIC. Though it would be nice to have a keychain or two at least...**

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**Chapter Two:  
**The Break Down

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"So...He didn't, try to steal the Master Chaos Emerald?" the doubtful blue one asked. Once more Knuckles answered, "No! No he didn't! For the last time, I would of known if he had even attempted. I have been here A-L-L D-A-Y!" he snapped, making a hand motion for every single letter while following his large encased paws with his flaring eyes. How many times did he have to explain this to that dunce? Apparently more times then once...ten..no had it been twelve? Knuckles scrunched his face up and slapped his fist into the side of his head. God, he hated Sonic sometimes but then again he couldn't live without the guy. Just like he couldn't live with out the others. Despite his annoyed or sometimes harsh words towards them he was glad. Lucky to have people he could consider friends to keep him company in his duty of forever protecting the Emerald. Though just thinking about their faces brought Knuckles back to the original subject. The red furred powerhouse grumbling to himself all over again. What was the game here? Cream was nothing more then a child so what did Eggman want with her exactly? Well, she was a little older now Knuckles corrected. Rubbing at his chin while he mindlessly stared into the glistening surface of the green emerald. The sounds of his companions shooting ideas at each other were almost distant until..

_Snap!_

"He's setting up a trap." the muscle of the group spoke, cutting in when Amy was sending a various waves of scolds towards the unfortunate Sonic. Knuckles was more then grateful that it was him she was glaring at. He could almost feel a welt raise up under his fur just by looking at that fiery gaze. Swallowing he coughed to clear his throat before continuing. "What else would he need Cream for? Nothing but as bait, so he can probably lure us..or you Sonic in and..uhh.." his words drifted off then. Face growing puzzled with the lack of information. The others had also fallen silent. Their expressions either mirroring his or shifting between various others. Tails growing thoughtful, Sonic flaring between anger and almost boredom. Amy herself was nibbling at her lips with the need to growl or perhaps cry he couldn't tell.

A tense moment later Tails spoke up. "I think you might be right. But we-" he was cut off when the blue hedgehog jumped forwards. "Go in! Bust right through his front door for a little visit before BAM! Bust the place no problem. Who cares if he is trying to pull some..trap. I'll just run away with Cream of course." just like always. It was a near constant process the hero's cycled through. Every few months it seemed. Just when they were growing comfortable the red clad man of evil would sprout back up from seemingly no where like an ugly weed in Vanilla's* garden. No matter how many times Knuckles smashed his mechs, Sonic flared through his halls, Tails hacked his systems, and Amy destroyed, Eggman always found a way back out of the ground. Growing bigger with every re-appearance which was unsettling. It made Sonic anxious.

Toes curling into the bottom of his worn shoes with the need to speed across the grass. Fingers flinching as if they were already grasping for hand holes in the walls of the mans no doubt grand laboratory. The others weren't blind to the hedgehogs pacing nature either. The three sets of eyes following the speed star as he walked off a few steps only to swivel back around and come to again.

"Well, i'm in." the crimson furred male stated effectively breaking the silence. This caused them to pause, Amy looking up from her toes and Tails dismissing his thoughts. Sonic smirked at his rival pleased that the fisted male agreed to come. "Good. I'd be disappointed if you didn't" the blue hedgehog challenged with a grin.

"Is that a challenge my friend?" he asked, lifting his brows while taking a step forwards. Admittedly having the extra muscle would come in handy. As the two puffed out their chests and shot comebacks at each other, Tails cleared his throat, "I'll go to. You'll just get yourself in some sort of jinx if I don't." he sighed, sounding mildly sarcastic while waving his hand in the air absently. The others looked at him with surprised expressions before they inevitably burst into a fit of laughter at the fox's manner. "What its true! Sonic you always jump right into a net or something silly." he snorted, stopping the blue hedgehogs chuckles with a frown of embarrassment. Yup that was him alright! "And you!" the yellow furred youngster pointed at Knuckles which halted his laughter. "You always break something that sets off an alarm." he confirmed, sending the other into an equally bashful silence.

"Your taking me with you." Amy decided, breaking their antics apart with one swift blow. She stepped amongst the three boys daring them to deny. Tails shifted uncomfortably at this while Sonic settled an doubtful gaze upon her face. Amy didn't let this deter her however, "Cream is my friend to and i'm going with you to rescue her." she stated again. When no answer came right away Amy nodded and turned on her booted heel to stomp towards the direction they had come. Planning to return to Tails aircraft so they could get this show on the road. However...

"No." the sound was almost to quite to be heard over the teasing howl of the wind, yet the tone was steardy. Unmovable in the least and already had his mind set. It was Knuckles..  
Arms crossed and legs locked in place as she whirled around to glare at whoever it was that had denied her of her goal. The two blood brothers frowned at Knuckles for even saying the two letter word. She was just going to get mad and they were all going to get headaches. That and she was clearly upset. What a jerk for pushing her buttons! Jerky, Jerky face...  
"Knuckles, don't be such a-"

"What?" the pinked haired female cut in. Stamping into the ground with her red shoes as she returned to the rag tag group. Clenching her hands the shorter bowed right up to the older. Puffing her chest out Amy pressed in close enough that their noses were almost touching at one point. Face twisted with a glare that almost asked for a challenge. "I said, i'm going to. So don't try to stop me alright." she repeated. Knuckles to the horrified others didn't waver In the least. Only lifted his chin up higher to prove that his resolve over his decision would not be shot.

He took in a steady breath through his nose, "No." Knuckles repeated only with more of an authority filled tone this time, louder.

Opening her mouth to no doubt yell at the red beast she hesitated, interrupted. "No, your not going. You are going to stay right here and guard the Master Emerald." he directed much to the displeasure of the pink haired girl. "Right now your head is clouded and you're a liability. I nor Sonic nor Tails will be able to spare any more energy saving you from a tight wrap." he explained.

"You wont have to!" Amy defended. "I not some stupid little girl anymore! I can take of myself just fine and you cant make me sit this one out! Cream is my almost my sister for christs sake Knuckles I have to go. Not even the likes of you!" she snapped, jabing a finger into the others chest. "Are going to force me from trying, force me from keeping my promise!" the blue male frowned, noting the way her voice wavered. How it grew heavy with the tears that were glossing her eyes over. "My promise...its my job." she continued, deflating at an alarming rate. Tails twisted his fingers together uncomfortably at the scene. The last thing they needed to do was fight amongst themselves.

"My job to keep her safe..When she, cant.." she ended, ducking her head to hide what the others already knew. Their suspicions were confirmed seconds later when the smothered sniffles drifted up from the feisty girl. They stood In silence as she broke down, allowing her to crumble..to show a moment of weakness. Sonic took a hesitant step forwards but halted when Knuckles sent a stern eye his way. She needed to let out her worry, clear her head.

So no one spoke a word as Amy silently huffed out amongst her closest friends. It wasn't until her shaking shoulders ceased did one of them move. Reaching out Knuckles placed a gentle hand upon the girls soft locks. Rubbing his paw into her hair and ruffling up the pink hues in the process. "You wont be helping anyone if you go right now." he restated though this time with less malice. "Cream would be upset if she knew you got hurt trying to save her. You know that as well as I do." the shorter merely stared down, rubbing at her wrists while hiding under the weight of Knuckles palm.

Cream had that in her nature. To blame herself when violence ensued and her friends got hurt in the process. She hated fighting, tried to avoid it with every fiber in her being. They all knew that. The polite rabbit was far to nice for her own good Knuckles thought. But just as the rest of the group she had her talents. Most defiantly able to hold her own in a fight when the circumstances called for it. Which meant that she had avoided this time as well. She was relying on them to fight the battle so she wouldn't have to feel the guilt of creating violence.

"Sonic, Tails and myself will go. You Amy will be right here when we get back.." he ordered, turning away then. Knuckles didn't need to look back from his leave to know that Amy understood. Didn't need to see her wipe her nose on her pink sweaters sleeve to know that she was ok now. Determinded to wait here and welcome her best friend home when they came back. Once the red haired male slipped out of sight by drifting down the hill side Sonic sighed. He gave Knuckles a one up for doing that because to put it frankly he wouldn't of been able to. A bad habit that he had, denying people.

Tails fidgeted in his shoes before racing over to the wounded girl. Captured her in a quick hug, "Don't worry, we got your back." he assured. Patting Amy on the shoulder while offering a warm smile. After that Tails to turned away to catch up with Knuckles, leaving only the two hedgehogs behind. That's right, they did have each others back. Picked up the slack when one of them couldn't go on. Flexing his fingers, Sonic paced over to the other who in turn was watching him with a red eyed gaze. Staring past tear tracked cheeks. "I cant tell you not to worry so I wont." he mumbled, shuffling uneasily on his feet. Sonic wasn't to good for words when it came to something other then teasing taunts and battle cries.

"But we well bring her back alright. The Sonic Team is on the job!" he boasted, slapping his chest and giving the girl a wink. Amy returned with a tiny smile at his cocky behavior. "And i'll bring her back before dinner time to!" he reminded.

Amy had planned a dinner out for herself and Sonic as well. Hoping to make the blue hedgehog his favorite dish later. She seemed to perk up at this. Nodding her head, "You better." she answered but to nothing but an empty air space. Sonic had already dashed off to join his companions. Sighing she turned away and paced up to the pedestal holding the item she had been order to guard. Rubbing her face Amy sat down on the warm stones and cursed. She had looked like a little girl! How dare her heart guts expose her for a pansy! Amy would have to work on that while they were gone..

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End of Chapter Two!

**Vanilla: **Vanilla is Cream's mother. She was captured I believe in a previous Sonic Adventure.

Another short one i see. Hopefully this picks up. Also, i am going to try writing multiple chapters ahead of time so i can get them rolling all at the same time. Forgive me if there are a lot of typos in this one. I read it once but alas my eyes are tired.  
Now, Amy is a hard character in my opinion to write while giving her some more depth aside from the humorous "Whack a Hedgehog" Role she holds up so well. In my opinion (from the shows, games I've played *which are only..the few originals i was able to get my paws on*) she was the strong female role. But every person has a breaking point and her Cream getting kidnapped is apparently it for me xD (Ha, it'd be funny if this was blaze...being a cat, getting her cream stolen.. -.- bad i know)

Anyways, R&R! Enjoy and i hope to get another two chapters out soon!


	3. The Plot is Learned

LET IT BE NOTED: xD I went back and fixed up the two previous chapters. Not much was changed except a few words here and there..and the typos, god the typos. Booyah! First Review!

I thank you mystery guest! Hearing your excitement for the next chapter was a motivation! I hope it is as great as you hoped 3 Here I go!

**DICSLAIMER: I OrangeBoxFox do not own Sonic the Hedgehog...**

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**Chapter Three  
A Plot is Learned**

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The first thing the semi-conscious figure noted was the silence. There was barely a sound at all in the unseen room. If she tried to strain her ears the occasional beep could be heard. The rumbling of the air conditioner kicking into high gear was the loudest noise. One that tricked her into believing she was back at home asleep in her bed. Maybe she really was just being a lazy little bunny rabbit having refused to start the day by burying her face into the folds of her pillows to block out the cheery sun. Her mother would surely tease her for her sleep hair before prodding her into waking. It was a nice picture but one that was merely that, a picture.

As the girl peeked open her eyes she immediately shut them once more. Wincing at the bright lights of the room and the blurring swirls clouding her sleepy vision. The throbbing pain in her head was the next thing to flare across her senses. Groaning the creamy furred rabbit reached up to press her palm into the temple of her scalp. Push against the pressure in her brain to relieve it for a moment in time. It felt as if she had been hit by a plane of some sort before being lulled into a heavy sleep. Her limbs lagged behind her thoughts, skin hurt from laying in the same position to long while a pin prick of a heavy kink poked in the back of her neck. "Chee..?" the garbled sound of a very familiar and welcomed face bubbled against her cheek spurred Cream up with a sigh.

"Oh Cheese!" she greeted, closing her eyes with a light laugh when the sky blue creature bobbed up and down in excitement before rubbing its face against her own. While she was glad that he was here with her Cream was also sad, that he was here with her. It meant that he hadn't gotten away either.

However where was here exactly? Rubbing gently at her eyes she blinked them a few more times. Successfully chasing away the last of her haze to clear the images her brain was trying to read. It was white, very white. The lights over head cast enough bright white glares that shadows were few in the rounded room. From her fetal position here on the floor she assumed the counters were a decent height up. To far for her to reach if she stayed laying down. Keeping that in mind the brown eyed girl moved on. Slowly dragging her eyes along the metal surfaces. Occasionally a lever or large button could be seen. Waiting to be operated no doubt. The floors themselves were even made of metal from the sheen flashing along their surface. Clean..

She was in a laboratory. It was the most logical answer really she decided, staring into the large glass cone or cylinder that took up most of the rooms center. Now that she was fully awake the buzz of electricity filtering through the glass could be heard all the way from here. Was she in a generator room? The thought made her swallow the swelling lump of fear away. If she was in just a generator room then there would be no tables meant to hold specimens from which had been prepared for prodding. Thank goodness.. In attempt to figure out her location she made a mistake.

Curling her hands underneath her Cream strained her arms to push herself up. The movement was enough to shake the flooring. "Oh!" she gasped. Maybe she was still dizzy from her capture because the floor was moving? Quirking her brow in question she took care but finally managed into a sitting position. The machines on either side of her were closer now at least but not enough for her to grab at. She tried anyways. Reaching out for a place to brace herself against but came up short. "A w-wall?" there was! Cheese mimicked his companion by drifting forwards until he to was greeted by the unseen field. He hummed out in as much confusion as she herself did. Puckering her lips in determination Cream shoved and, was sent rolling. The pressure she had applied behind her hand sent the "wall" moving. Her small world shaking until it tilted and upturned on itself multiple times making it difficult to stay straight in. Cream yelped in surprise as her nose quite suddenly greeted the yellow bottom of the container, arms flailing for purchase but scraping nothing but smooth glass. The more she struggled the faster the ball rolled. Some part of her mind told her to panic. Scream for help like any character in a scary movie would do but, aside herself Cream was laughing.

It was like being in a carnival ride or something. Rolling around in the cushioned tea cup until stars were spinning around her head. Her giggles echoed back in her ears as she rolled around like a wobbling top within the egg until she was able to brace her arms against either side. The containment center wasn't that large she realized because Cream being the shortest member out of her friends was able to reach either side without strain at all. She stayed still, her childish laughter subsiding until both her and Cheese were laying at the bottom once more only this time on their backs. Their labored breathing took a bit longer to cease but after a minute or two it finally did. "I wonder what it does Cheese?" it was a good question after all. Why had she been put into a cell that moved when ever its prisoner did? It was the very question that occupied her easily distracted mind for the next half hour or so. Time just like the answer were elusive. How long had she been sleeping here in this empty room? If she could remember correctly her hunters burst into her door on a mid-week day. One of the routine ones that was usually occupied by morning breakfast with mothers and sisters. Cream stayed relatively still with content to piece together the events that were misplaced with a blank wall until the door across the room clicked.

Sliding with a _Pssshhh._

Any look of mindless peace or amusement was killed on contact when her eyes jumped up from Cheese to greet the person entering the room. Which of course was none other then Dr. Eggman himself.

Swallowing Cream steeled herself, ducking her chin down and dropping her gaze to the floor. Never look at an Alpha in the eye lest you set them off. It worked with dogs that way at least. "Good Morning Creamy! I see your up and..rolling." he noted, cackling at his stale humor as he crossed the room. A major case of deja vu assaulted her brain as a few of his minions entered shortly after. Robots of various colors with a programmed sense of duty. They stood behind the man on different sides of the room. Metallic coated fingers scaling over the keys of their computer boards while flickering eyes jumping across the screens. Cream looked towards the Doctors hands which were folded behind the small of his back, almost expecting for him to produce one of the Chaos Emeralds. But found none..

"So you have found yourself amongst my layer again little rabbit." he continued, earning back her attention. Cream frowned at this, he said it as if it had been a choice. Like when she would call Amy to see if she wanted to play. That was a choice. "I don't like it." she told him truthfully. It was cold and filled with ugly reminders of a pass time. Oh pray to the skys above that only she herself was here. What if he had taken her mother again! As if sensing the turmoil Cheese nuzzled up against the girls chin drawing her arms around him from the contact. The pastel colored girl hugging him to her chest like a security blanket.

"Its not ugly! I designed it myself!" he blurted, pointing at the girl with an air of hurt having taken offense to her comment. Cream jumped at the sudden outburst but like her background required she apologized. "Hmph, I suppose I can ignore that comment." the taller stated, snorting in distaste before pacing towards one of the workers. The youngster didn't say anything else seeing as how he had booted her out of the conversation by turning his back on her. For the most part, Cream didn't miss the squinted look he aimed at her while hunching over one of the robots. A look that almost said he was checking to see if she was alert. Like a couple of school girls might when preparing to share a secret. So, like a clever eavesdropper she occupied her attention elsewhere. Rubbing her thumb against the side of Cheese's head, or blinking owl eyed up at the ceiling while occasionally shifting her feet. The ploy seemed to work for Eggman completely turned around by focusing his eyes on the screen which the prisoner was unable to see she might add.

"Have the preparations been completed?" "Yes Dr." "Good, by now one of them should of noticed so it wont be long..." "Right you are Dr." "What is the capacity level?" it was difficult to hear from here. Their tones were hushed and quick as if someone had planted cotton balls in her ears. But from what little words she did manage to pick up she worried over. A few numbers were read off but she only got eighty, sixty, and ninety eight. Percentages?

"Check that lowest one, we want to appear to be...source...cant be seen by radars if its..."

Biting at her knuckle she coughed, "Dr. Eggman, what am I doing here?" she asked. Ever polite was the girl the man noted. Still asking for his attention by giving the prefix at the beginning of his name unlike the other nasty pests in her group. Straightening up Eggman mumbled out a few more orders before turning around to face his prisoner once more. She looked like a frightened little rabbit...ha, she was a little rabbit! Caught by the clever cat! "Do you want to know really?" he asked, tilting his head a bit. Cream blinked up at the older with a hint of doubt. The way he said it made her wish she had never asked but she nodded her head anyways.

"Well for motivation of course." he supplied, tucking his hands up in front of his chest like a brainstorming genius the man fidgeted. Taping the pads of his fingers together one at a time. "Motivation?" the man merely smiled as she repeated his exact word. Instead of answering right away the Dr. took a few leisurely steps forwards. His walk even was unnerving for it wasn't one people used in their daily lives no. It was a predator circling around its prey, one that had already spotted an opening and was merely biding its time. "Yes Creamy, your role in this grand play is the bait of course. The first domino that sets off the rest until the whole row bam! Falls into place." he vaguely explained, walking his fingers through the air like a miniature pair of legs until he was close enough to reach out and touch the container.

"But if i'm bait...your luring something here why? Aren't you trying to keep them away so they don't foil your plans." she observed. Eggman scoffed, "Not Foil!" he snapped, they weren't always foiling his plans! He turned his head quickly before settling his lips into a puckering pout. They...ok, well by they the two obviously meant the Sonic Team. Yes, that blasted group was always getting in his way. Preventing him from reaching his sky high goal. But that wasn't the point! "That's not the point!" he continued, echoing his thoughts.

"It doesn't matter what you think, your job isn't to judge but to play damsel!" he reminded, tone defensive. It finally clicked in her scattered brain then. Like someone had snapped a puzzle piece into its assigned place the plot came together in one swift second.

"You want my friends don't you!" she accused, brows forming a mild glare. "You wanted bait so..so you could lure Sonic and the others here for, something." she hesitated then, what did he want that for? Usually Dr. Eggman would create an elaborate but almost predictable plan to claim and conquer all of the emeralds. Steal every single one of them so that he could use it to create some powerful being in order to shape a world that was ruled by him. Eggmanland was it? A dream that he was the ruler of according to pasts experiences. But as Cream looked up at his smug expression somehow she found that this wasn't the case here.

"For something yes, it is always for something." he rambled, swiveling on his feet Eggman walked further into the room. Towards the large see through cylinder occupying the center. She felt herself tense when he reached out and pressed his hand against the spot free glass as if afraid that it would bite back and shock him. The others wouldn't worry for his safety..he was the bad guy. But she couldn't act that way because he was a living creature like the rest of them. Oh she was getting distracted again. Shaking her head Cream watched the red man through her bangs as he continued to speak. Hoping he would go on a tangent and give away some sort of secret to lighten the darkness shrouding his plan. It was after all a bad habit for all evil doers, at least in her fairy tale stories.

"Do you like your cell by the way? Comfortable I hope?" he asked, changing the subject. Where was the loud speech?

Cream looked about to inspect her obviously durable cage. Now that she was studying it Cream could see that it was in fact a larger space then she first thought. Taller then her by a good four feet but only wide enough for her to reach out and touch its inner belly with her palms. Vertically built which begged the realization that maybe, it was meant for things to move in or stand. Standing taller then her even. When looking straight up she could see the "lid". A dark almost mustard cap that was sealed air tight. She could see the veins of the system. Rivets where wires and chip boards were hidden underneath its solid and blinking skin. The gentle ruffle of air that she had previously thought was coming from the cooling system in the room was actually drifting at a barely noticeable pace from the bottom of the ball itself. So at least the doctor was thoughtful enough to provide a ventilation system for the animal trapped inside. Or maybe it was the contraption that made the thing spin like a mad wheel on a driving car..

"What does it do? Well.. I mean why does it roll when I move?" she mumbled out, taking comfort in the warm presence of Cheese now hovering slowly beside her left ear. Eggman seemed to ponder over this for a moment, taking his time in answering by picking the reply carefully.

Stopping just beside the furthest counter top the man sighed. Running his fingers over the surface before lifting his arm, rubbing his fingers together to smear the fine layer of dust that had collected. "I designed that to handle great amounts of movement you know." he pointed out, lifting his bushy brows at the widening stare his unwilling companion was giving him. Awe..did she figure it out? No, her frown returned and the look of haze clouding her eyes told him she was thinking. Trying to put all of the pieces into the right spot. "No?" he hummed, shrugging. Cream shook her head, no she didn't know.

"I designed it, for you. Or perhaps Sonic more specifically." that turned on the light bulb in her head. She jumped into attention so fast he thought she had been zapped by a volt of electricity. Eyes wide with under developed horror, not sure to the whole extent but knowledgeable enough. Cowering behind her hands by covering her mouth he smiled at. "Your an evil man!" she told him, but he already knew that.

"Thank you for reminding me. I find that my brain...is faulty!" he laughed, a deep bellied one. "Don't worry, I'll have all of the bugs worked out by the time he arrives. His will be far more advanced then your own." he said it as if it would be a privilege to be in something more dangerous then her own cage. But, what did her cage do?

"What do you mean?' she didn't say Dr. this time. The older frowned at the loss of civility but answered her anyways. "Nothing you would be interested in. All science and no flowers." he chuckled, teasing the now glaring girl. Though it looked more as if she were bunching up her brows to keep from crying. "Yes, be upset! Booohooo! Your going to be the one that dooms your little friend into capture!" he laughed once more. Holding his splayed hands up for effect while he imagined how the scene would play out.

"Sonic will no doubt come running once his little sidekicks come crying. Wahh! wahh! Creamy has been taken by the big bad Man Sonic! What shall we do what shall we do!" he mimicked, adopting a high pitched voice to imitate a little girl perhaps. He even skipped on the tips of his pointed boots. "And when they come knocking on big bad mans door i'll be ready. Snap! Just like that I will scoop that pest up and he will be mine! Capturing your other friends would be a bonus but they aren't important just yet." he told her, waggling his finger as if scolding his child.

"No, they will come later. I have to test by invention first of course and what better subject to give it is maiden voyage then Sonic himself! Ha! No one!" he choked out, putting his hands on his hips and sauntering over towards his robotic companions. "I could try it on you, but I will be merciful. What kind of man would I be if I wounded a little girl?" he observed aloud. Patting the red and more dumpy looking droid on the head like a puppy who had earned its keep. Cream at this point was struggling to keep her mind focused. The edges of her being fraying into loose ends as the endless possibilities ran wild! What was he going to do? Was he going to hurt them? Use them for some...some evil experiments? Hold them forever? Whatever it was she it was dangerous she knew now. Wounded? The word bounced around and left an acidic taste in her mouth. Sonic was going to get hurt. Tails was going to get hurt...Amy was going to get hurt. All because she was to weak to defend herself from intruders..

"Now wait patiently Creamy. It wont be long before I have no use for you and you can go home girly. Just wait.." he ordered, drawing her attention up from her hands to be greeted by his broad back. The man walking slowly towards the door he had first come in through. "Why?" she asked, pressing her palm into the glass. Smearing it with salty tears of worry and panic.

He paused for a moment, keeping his back turned. She held her breath. Waiting for some answer she didn't really want to hear. Finally breaking the built up suspense he answered with a less then satisfactory response. "Because i'm evil." with that the echoing of his laughter bounced back. Cut short by the closing of the sliding door. The only company she had now was the fidgeting Cheese and the busy bees typing away on their computers. Creating some ghost of a power source to act as a beacon. Tails with his clever gadgets and observant eye would pick up on it no problem. Point it out to the others before suiting up and coming to the rescue. Only this time Cream didn't want to be rescued. She closed her eyes to pray that her knights in shining armor would just stay blind to what was going on around them for once. Play tag in the field or tease each other in stead.

* * *

Bwhahahaha!

There you have it! Dr. Eggman's grand introduction! I decided to give him a more dangerous side here. From my experience he is just that evil guy who blabbers out hot air while we wait impatiently for the boss battle to begin. Anyways, R&R! I'd love to hear your glorious inputs here. Hope the next one comes together as smoothly as I think this one did haha xD


	4. Hmm? You Were Saying?

As promised, a two for two bam!

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Sonic..blah blah blah...**

* * *

**Chapter Four  
Hmm..you were saying?**

* * *

"Geez! I thought we would never make it!" the excited blue hedgehog exclaimed. As soon as the ever stretching mass of water disappeared and the welcoming flow of green reappeared he was up. Pushing out of his previously crumpled state in favor of a more...hyped one. "Im out!" he called, already hiking a leg up despite the protests echoing from the other two males in the air craft. "Sonic wait, your going to tilt the plane. Let me angle out.." the youngest protested, abandoning the view in favor of turning to look at the one in question.

"Nah, your a master pilot Tails! You'll be just fine." he protested, all eyes for the stretch of land below as he gripped one of the bars just above his head to further hoist himself up. Knuckles had yet to say anything Tails couldn't help but notice.

Gripping the controls through his thick brown gloves the fox tensed. Twisting the steering wheel with a steady hand Tails banked to the left. Dipping the wing down to make an down slanted runway of sorts. "Sonic I really think you should reserve your energy!" he called over the noise but his companion was obviously not worried for off he was.

Any further words of displeasure were easily lost to Sonic. The wind taking him like a familiar hug as he sent himself off with a practiced flip. Feet lightly bouncing along the span of the wing before kicking off with the tips of his shoes to put some distance from himself. The wind enveloped him like a familiar friend taking its favorite companion into a hug. Wrapping around his being as he sliced through it in classic belly flop formation. Understand where his envy of those who had the power to fly came from? There was nothing more..peaceful then drifting where the wind took you. Chancing it Sonic closed his blue lids, covering the deep greens to slip into a limbo. Sense flared into high alert without the existence of sight. Hearing heightened he could hear every quill, shoe lace, and crack of his fingers while he descended. If he strained he thought he could hear Tails and Knuckles off in the distance. It was difficult to take a proper breath with the power of the air blowing up against his face at such a rate but he managed anyways. Sucking in steady breaths through his nose as he grew closer and closer until finally...out of sight!

"He has the patience of an irritable saint." Tails grumbled, leaning out over the side panel to watch the other lest he get himself into trouble. Why had he even bother though? Tails told himself to pull away but found that he couldn't. Watching Sonic until just like that! He bolted.

Curling into that famous ball to protect himself the hedgehog flipped forwards into a rapid spin. Shooting towards the ground as if he had been shot out of a high pressured rocket. It only took a few seconds for the pulsing blue sphere to hit home before in a blast of almost silver white he was gone. Leaving only a dissipating trail of dirt and grass billowing up behind him. Knuckles grunted at this, to lost in thought to hold up a decent conversation. "He's upset isn't he." the blonde one asked.

Knuckles snorted, "He's to hyped all of the time to know what that means." he joked but the serious under tone was enough to kill any humor to it. Tails turned back around so he could focus on the drive. This was true. Sonic's outgoing and childish behavior was so present at almost all hours of the day that for some it was difficult to tell when he wasn't. Stepping between the blocks of playful and "All fired up!" seemed to be the only emotions that male had in his arsenal. But after years of being by Sonic's side Tails had equipped himself with the proper tools to read the elusive character that made up the sound breaker. He to was probably worried about the well fare of their ensnared friend.

"I don't like this." the calm voice broke through Tails revere like a knife through hot butter. Causing his eyes to jump up from the green horizon beyond towards the re view mirror again. Knuckles brows knitted together almost meeting in the center as he studied something in the open cockpit. Silent stretched for a few heavy moments with neither of them speaking. Knuckles waiting for some sort of saving explanation while Tails sorted out the last of his thoughts. Tying up loose theories. At first the only offered answer were the sounds of the gear shift being clicked into a different position. Tails dipping the nose down into a lazy decent as the clunker of a plane worked to get them to their destination. Knuckles chuckled as it coughed, the propellers freezing up for a second before spinning with a new wave of vigor. This old clunker had defiantly seen better days that was for sure. Diving into the spray of erratic gun fire to save a friend in need. Fly for days on end to investigate the supposed location to a Chaos emerald or enemy base. Tails had said he was going to retire the old girl to the garage for good, unable to dismantle her. The plane held to much sentimental value now. But against his own words the fox on occasion would pull the tarp from her faded wings. flash it a warm smile while running a single finger along the aircrafts surface. Blow a layer of dust from her controls when it had gone more then a week or two without interaction. It was by far not equipped for action adventures anymore but Tails still used it as a leisurely mode of transportation.

"I don't either, something is off." the shorter agreed, lifting his nose a bit as the ground came closer. They were drawing near now. Only a good twenty minutes away. As off as it sounded Knuckles had sailed over this landscape enough times to know when they were getting close.

"Yea, no thievery..no goon sightings..Only Cream. Do you think..?" Knuckles drifted off, leaving the ending of this question hanging in the air for both of them to swallow down like a nasty pill. Think that Cream was being played as a pawn.

"I don't know what I can think Knuckles. Not until I can go over some readings when we get back to the garage at least. If Sonic has broken something yet.." he laughed then. Replacing the down turn of his lips with a brighten grin. Knuckles blinked up at the back of Tails head. A slow but contagious smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. If they left themselves feel down now then their fighting spirit would never get a chance to be born! "Then you should put the peddle to the metal Tails. Knowing him the house is sinking under by now."

Well, they didn't enter to a scene of chaos at least.

Once the house was in sight Tails eased the plane into a gentle decent. The wheels bouncing on the grass with a shudder that singled they had in fact made touch down. "It's quiet..to quiet." Knuckles commented once he had jumped to the ground, plane settled into a stop just outside. The vixen grunted with the impact of shoes to earth. Taking a moment to dust himself off before skipping on nimble toes to catch up to the red team member. Both pairs of eyes scanning over the house as if expecting for something to come flying from a window. "Mhmm..maybe he's occupied with a sandwich or something?" he joked, grinning like a bright eyed child as Knuckles crouched to pull up the garage.

"You might have to go shopping later then. Knowing how he eats." he groaned out, heaving the door open to a darkened room. Both stepped inside but neither of them bothered to close the house off again. The day was far to nice to shut it out so why not let the stuffy rooms air out with some fresh smells? That and maybe Knuckles was feeling a bit lazy, occupied. "Be careful, there is stuff laying around." tails warned. Disappearing into the room with the hopes of checking the house entry door to see if it was unlocked.

Stepping with confidence through the unorganized mess that was Tails work space Knuckles on the other hand blinked owlishly. "Wow, your getting sloppy." he pointed out. Taking to the room with a much slower gait so he could step around open tool shelves or over stripped wires. "Procrastination?" the other's voice asked, already clambering up the stairs with an almost chipper bounce to his step. It was only a mess to everyone else because they didn't know where everything was that's all. Tails could find whatever it was he was looking for just find in here no problem. He did after all craft most of his inventions here within this room so how sad would it be if he couldn't find a pair of tweezers or a set of wrenches? "Damn it!" Tails ears flicked back and forth at the echoing hiss which escaped Knuckles. The sound of metal clanging to the floor followed shortly after before being ended off with a round of childish giggles. Knuckles didn't seem to amused by the fact that the other was laughing at him. Puckering his lips in a pout while he rubbed the sore spot flaring on his knee. "Cant say I didn't warn ya!" the blonde chuckled shaking his head.

Testing the knob he was pleased to find it was still unlocked from when he had left this morning. Or perhaps when Sonic had come in just now even. Whatever the case the fox climbed up the last set of stairs to enter the main floor. Tossing his gloves off onto an empty hallway end table, goggles, keys. Knuckles didn't loose any of his gear aside from his limp. Tails laughed again at the others distress, bouncing away from a playful swipe and into the office area where...

Sonic was waiting?

Both boys stopped short in the door way. Pressed into either side while the seemingly oblivious blue male stared ahead quietly. Well, Knuckles hadn't been wrong about his fridge being raided at least. The sandwich sat untouched on the desk top. Inhabiting a yellow plate this stacker stood at least four pieces of bread high while sprouting with crunchy pieces of lettuce, tomato, and meats of course. While the sandwich was appetizing to gaze at the meal was quickly forgotten. "It's not supposed to look like that is it?" Sonic asked, finally breaking away from the screen to swivel around on his perch. Having taken to the desk top he now sat cross legged and clutching at his ankles, eyes boring into Tails for answers.

No, it wasn't supposed to look like that. "What did you do to the screen Sonic?" he blurted, leaving Knuckles side to scamper across the room. The screen itself was oddly colored. Flaring reds, purples, blues and yellows. A giant blob of pixelated boxes.

Sonic shrugged, "I dunno. When I came in it was screeching like mad so I tapped the board there.." he pointed to the large spanned keyboard just in front of him. "It got quiet. But the image didn't go away." he explained. Tails tugged nervously at his ear looking at the computer screen with worry, mingling with relief. Well at least there wasn't any thing broken...really? Sighing the yellow fox reached out and placed his fingers on the rolling mouse. A large polished ball protruding from the key board which was used to move the clicker around the screen.

Knuckles entered the room then. Walking over to Sonic with his signature arm cross. Holding a look of amusement on his face, "Nice going Sonic." he joked, nudging the the male with his elbow. "I didn't do anything I swear! It just started growing like that." he explained.

"Wait wait wait...growing?" tails cut in. Zooming out the screen so he could see what the hideously blocked image was.

"Yup, after I smashed some buttons it locked onto that heat signature annddd it expanded." Sonic repeated though from the looks of it Tails wasn't really listening any more. The genius flicking through menus in search of past data so he could confirm Sonic's observation himself. Sure enough the blue hedgehog was right!

"It has whatever it is." he mumbled, stepping back to lean against the desk along with the others. Over the past few hours it had gone from a minor reading into a worrisome kilometer long patch of radiating heat and pulsing power. It was something that should be looked into for sure..if he didn't already have an idea as to what it was. "I bet, that's Eggman. What do you think?" the youngest asked, bending forwards so he could look at the other two males for some sort of answer. Sonic tilted his head for a moment to contemplate this for all but a few seconds. Deciding what he wanted to do about it. Knuckles quirked his left brow up as if trying to decipher some hidden code out of the screen only to receive nothing.

"I think we should go check it out!" Sonic exclaimed. Holding his arms up in the air like he had won a prize or something. "I bet my lucky sock that that is eggman. Who else could create something like that?" he asked, looking at Tails who nodded In agreement. It had the Dr. written all over it to him. That or it was a random volcano spurting out of the ground over the span of one evening? Highly unlikely..

"Well its not the Chaos Emerald." the other observed, pointing his hand at the numbers slowly growing in the far right hand side of the screen. "That's in the wrong direction to be from the Emerald. Looks like its in the mountains actually." his voice heightened in minor surprise but not really. So Eggman was hitting it up In the high altitudes again was he?

Sonic gripped the edge of the desk about to slide himself down so he could jump for the ground and race for the high but Tails stopped him. Effectively halting his advance with a slap to the blue creatures chest. "Don't you dare go zipping around before we even know anything." he told the other, turning away from the screen in front of him and settling his blue eyes on the equally steady green gaze. "Let me check out the maps and readings first. I don't want us going head first into a wild goose chase. It would only waste time." he explained, trying to reason with the wager beaver. Sonic stared down at his trusted companion with a gaze that was rather difficult to read. The silence that had filled the room was enough to strangle them into smithereens..until finally the leader figure spoke.

"Yea fine. I guess that makes sense.." he grumbled, mouth stretching into a pout before he eased himself back into his Indian styled position. Fumbling for the long forgotten sandwich in the process.

"I'd feel that it was more worth it if we knew what it was we were looking at to. So just have some patience hedgehog." Knuckles cut in, finalizing the situation with a nod. As much as the hedgehog wanted to just get up and do something he knew that it was more logical to at least have some sort of idea. He didn't want to chance running up tot he wrong destination and slow down their time. That would leave Cream in the hands of the enemy that much longer. Which was a always a second more then he was willing to spare. Chillaxing seemed to be legit. So, without any further words on protest Sonic munched quietly on his meal. Watching Tails as he set to work. Enlarging map images of the mainlands, testing signals, comparing notes, wiping his brow from the effort. Knuckles had turned away from the blurring screen in favor of plopping himself down in a chair just a few feet away. Slouching down into the worn cushion before crossing his arms.

It was slow going. Much of the afternoon occupied with the soft sounds of fingers clicking along keys. Hums of frustration mingled with the occasional snore of sleep. Nor Sonic or Knuckles had managed to stay awake. The hedgehog, who had somehow kept his perch upon the desk was sitting slouched forwards. Head nodding to the side only to be jerked back into an upright position. Knuckles leaning so far to the right that his cheek was pressed into the bony arm of the chair.

"Amazing..We're in a crisis and these two can sleep?" Tails asked aloud, settling a bland look upon the two unconscious others. Well, it was far quieter this way he figured. Without the constant questions and bickering the fox could work faster. Which meant that they could get this fiasco over and bring Cream back to safety that much quicker..

Scratching at his ear the fox swiveled back around in his chair and set to work once more.

_Just hang out Cream, we're coming.._

* * *

Another one in the bag.

I know this is slow going, ( ^^; actually plotting out later chapters so i'm trying not to rush the early ones.)  
But it will pick up I swear! Hopefully you wont be disappointed..

Anywho, as a note. I'm going to be out of town for a few days so it may take me longer to get the next two out this time around. I do apologize.  
As per usual, enjoy and R&R! I love hearing from you guys!


	5. Falling on Deaf Ears

Well i'm back~

Ha..ha, fail. Told you it would be a while before my next update. But hopefully the next one wont take as long. Sorry for the wait and hopefully this is as great as those expectations.  
PS! Thank you followers! It makes my day to know that your interested in seeing what happens next as well as providing a bit of encouragement seeing how my writing isn't so bad lol.

* * *

**Chapter 5  
Falling on Deaf Ears  
**

* * *

"Faster Sonic faster." he urged himself, voice breaking out in strain as the speed star pushed forwards. Ducking his nose Sonic set his expression into one of renewed determination. Pumping his arms to give him that extra push..if that were even possible.

_"You go first. Run, run as fast as you can. It will be the most adequate way to check in on that hot spot.."_

His hands cut through the blades of grass like a hot butter knife. Red shoes kicked up dirt and foliage leaving a trail of dust In his wake before silence took hold once more. At this rate he would be there no time, just as he had promised back at Tails home with cocky smile In tow. He didn't hold his title for nothing you know. Using all of his energy to continue his sprint along the ever changing ground was nothing but a breeze of course.

_"Just check it out...and COME. RIGHT. BACK Sonic got it?! Don't try to be the hero by yourself. Just come back after you see it."_

Legs tensed up at the joints, crouched in mid step before springing forwards like a tightly wound rubber band being shot from a pair of fingers. In most cases Sonic would of enjoyed the momentary flight. Twisting in the air in an array of cocky acrobatics but the weight of his mission was far to important. Not a whoop or laugh was made as the momentum of his run sent Sonic catapulting over the low rising hill and into the down sloping valley below. As soon as his toes touched down his legs were moving once more. Running at an impossible rate which left him blind to the naked eye of anyone nearby. Which at this hour of the night was nothing more then little woodland creatures preparing to settle down in their dens for the evening.

_"Once you get there use these to check out the hot spot." the blonde explained, holding out a pair of heavy duty looking binoculars out to the waiting hedgehog. Who took them with a look of apprehension.  
"Those bulky lenses stream whatever it is your looking at back here to the screen for me and Knuckles to see. I can even talk to you if you wear this, in you ear see." Tails grinned, holding out his latest invention for the others to inspect. Both boys ducked their noses down, gaining eye level with the fox's hand. It was...an ear piece? The recognition flashed in Sonic's eyes first. "So like a walkie talkie right? We can talk over the distance while checking out this thing yea?" he asked, looking back up at the genius. Tails nodded his head before pushing it into Sonic's hand. Treating it carefully the blue one reached up to his right ear. Wiggling it around until it was situated comfortably before taking hold of the bulky green and blue binoculars. _

_"How am I going to carry this without throwing it in the run?"_

Sonic chuckled at the previous conversation which was still fresh in his mind. Ever prepared was Tails. The comfortable weight of the bag resting between his shoulder blades proved as a reminder to him. When he had asked this, pointing out that carrying something would not only slow him down but prove difficult Tails had merely laughed. Chirped with excitement that he had already come up with the solution. A small brown leather strapped bag. It was no bigger then the item he was carrying so it didn't add any extra weight nor restrained his movements in the least. The straps themselves were snapped tight up under his arm pits and around his middle just for extra purchase. It was also resting at an easy arm lengths, so he wouldn't have to strain to put it away if he had to leave in a hurry. Which knowing Dr. Eggman he would probably have to play an intense game of cat and mouse if he were to be spotted by any of the no doubt "bots" hanging around the place.

But that wasn't the part that was burning his brain like a acidic poison. _"Come..right..back! Nothing more.."  
"Don't be the hero!"_

Banking to the left then right Sonic zig zagged through the thin trees in quick succession. Finally breaking through the line and back out into the open. "Don't be the hero huh?" he panted, tilting his right cheek to the side a bit as if questioning someone in person. That was like asking a bird not to be a bird for gods sake. Well, maybe asking a bird not to fly perhaps..lets be modest here. It was in his blood, coursing through his veins like strong waves of bubbling fire begging for him to ignite every time he caught whiff of something amiss. Since the beginning he was attuned, alert to his surrounds in the sense that he was always looking for something to help. Well and maybe it didn't help his obsession with being the star with Eggman around. Constantly providing a challenge since as long as he could remember.

Snorting out a smirk he shook his head. "I have to be a hero." he spoke aloud once more, turning his face upwards as the incline in the ground suddenly burst into something far steeper. If he wasn't a hero, a leader, the fearless wild hedgehog that always had a head of spirit then who else would do it? Or at least that was how he felt anyways.

Leaning back on his heels to slam on the brakes Sonic skipped. Tilting forwards in a pounce. Apparently he was getting close, the slight slope upwards had all to quickly turned into a rather daunting mountain. But its massive size didn't appear to deter to one attempting to climb it. For he merely changed tactics.  
Taking it slow and steady almost. Making a constant bee line up by jumping along the protruding rock or swinging his body along with a quick hand to the cracks feathering along the geographic marker. Nimble as a goat while swift as a cat on the prowl. It would be no time at all he reminded himself. Nope...nope nope.

* * *

"Would you stop that? If you keep looking at the screen it'll never light up." the annoyed red furred male grumbled. It had been like this since that damn hedgehog left which was only a half hour ago. Once Sonic was fitted with the gear he would need the creature was off. Not even waiting for Tails to open the garage door all the way before shooting like a bullet. Leaving nothing but a plume of dust mixed with a shimmering after image. Well that was it, they were now forced to wait.

Knuckles had been content to just leisurely follow after the younger as he ran about the house. Obviously more aware of the fact that it wouldn't be long until they were supposed to go. So sure was the fox that this single lead would be the answer they were thirsting for that he was already throwing together things they would need. Kicking up the steps into his home to disappear out of sight only to return moments later with a back pack being carefully cradled in his arms like a new born child. "Gotta pack light or we'll be slow as a turtle!" he explained when Knuckles had questioned the other about it. If they were going to try and infiltrate an enemy base why were they only taking one bag of..something?  
"Its just a rescue mission." Tails pointed out, frowning a moment when Knuckles looked un convinced. "Yea, but remember the last time we sent Sonic out to poke his nose in that mans' home base?" he stated, both falling silent for a second before their faces fell into a cringe. Yea..maybe packing light was a good idea. The faster they got there to provide back up the better. Couldn't make a quick clean up of the hedgehogs messes if they were late to the date right?

Of course how were they to know when said date was when the window laying dormant on Tails computer had yet to flash into life. As soon as Tails had finished tossing a few possible life savers onto his air craft they had gone back inside to see if Sonic had made it yet. Since then they were forced to wait. Knuckles sitting on the floor resting against the heavy desk and Tail walking back and forth just in front of the keyboards. "Maybe we should just go now." he grumbled frowning when his peek at the screen proved to be in vain again. "Yea, we could do that. But we could also wait here for news from Sonic to." Knuckles denied. He was just as anxious over the decision to send Sonic out to investigate as Tails was. But there were times in a dangerous situation that they would just have to trust the judgment of their teammates and hope they pulled through.

Which in their case the idiot finally did.

Both sets of disgruntled eyes flicked up simultaneously as the black box meant to provide communication to their friend burst in a fit of darkened colors. Hazing with the unfocused lines of grey until the image settled. The way Tails was practically pressed into the computer would of been humorous any other time had they not been forced to be serious.

"Sonic?" the blonde asked hesitantly. Ducking his face forwards as if he would see some sort of hidden hint in the image. From their point of view it appeared to be nothing but the ground at the moment. Moving back and forth in an unsteady rhythm that to Knuckles could of been from the blue hedgehog panting even. They wouldn't know however seeing as how not a peep came from the speakers what so ever. Tense seconds passed until finally a small flick of red and white came into view in the bottom right corner. "Yup, that's Sonic." the red furred male confirmed, smirking at the screen with a pleased grin. Tails on the other hand jumped. Reaching out quickly to flick on the communication line that had been previously set up. A mistake all on its own for the sound that came bursting from the speakers was enough to blow them out of their shoes.

Wind...and lots of it. Sonic's breathing had slowed enough now so they knew this couldn't of been it. The sound of gears grinding off in the distances was faint but perhaps one of the most prominent noises was the sound of something..oozing. "This place is hot!" the caller yelped out, breaking through the background noise with ease. If they had doubts that this was Sonic before they knew it was most definitely him now. The binoculars panned out, showing more of the image. Well that explained it. The bright flare of red was enough to force boy creatures to squint their eyes for a moment. Search lights..infer red Tails assumed but had no actual way of testing. The base one might ask? Well it was Eggman's alright and it was prepared. The towers of the large almost mechanism looking building stretched up until the gray clouds above smothering it out of view. Bright beacons of light scoped along the ground and around the sides of the valley like various pairs of demonic eyes. Searching for prey..  
Guards? They were plentiful in deed. Walking slow steps along the walls, down the steps, through archways. Most of them were nothing but models that could of been revamped, upgraded from old models. But there were quite a decent amount of numbers that looking daunting. Large enough to stomp on the hedgehog with one foot if he slipped up. The way their lenses flashed occasionally told Tails they were mapping. Catching images in their minds eye and saving it for later use. Probably to store it and survey it for any differences. Every one..two seconds their masks would light up, and darken again in the blink of an eye.

"Well the man wasn't skimpy on his toys was he?" Sonic asked, throat rumbling with a chuckle. No, he hadn't in the least.

Knuckles and Tails despite not being seen by Sonic nodded their heads in agreement. "Uhuh...he sure didn't." the younger hummed out, flabbergasted for but a moment in time before shaking his head. Ears flapping back and forth with the movement but steadied out, perking up straight. "We're going to have to be careful. Those big ones there.." he asked, flicking his eyes to Knuckles but didn't exactly catch what he mumbled. It must of been humorous for the big fisted male was smiling. "Yea what about em?" Sonic questioned after the hesitation in his friends words.

"They are scanning. Those flashes are probably a camera flash. So they are constantly catching images of what they're looking at Sonic. So if you get seen by them its game over, Eggman will know." he explained with the sound of confidence. That's what it had to be. Nothing else that came to mind made sense.

"What a crafty bastard." the other complemented, lowering his binoculars in favor of surveying the building through unenhanced eyes. This would be exciting! Could Sonic run fast enough to bypass hundreds of cameras flashing at different rhythms all at once? Pssht, heck yes. Or he would try at least. "He upped his game."

"Zoom in again please?" Tails ordered, waiting patiently as Sonic complied. "I don't see any dark spots." a name they used for shadowed areas. The crack in the defense or the neglected area. It didn't matter if they couldn't see it now in Knuckles opinion. They would find it and they could knock it down. Same as all the other times. But as compelling as this was the building itself was paled in comparison to the..new development.

The distant sound of thunder growling its protests drew Sonic's attention. At first he lifted the binoculars to see what it was that was creating such a sound. Flicking the lenses about in a dizzying manner. But as the metal screeched together In a fur raising pitch the mechanism was all but forgotten. Tails and Knuckles were left completely blind to what was going on. Only able to ask which they did multiple times but received no answer. "Sonic! What is it? What is it doing!" the vixen blurted, trying to manually move the screen but without success. The camera was angled to far down towards the ground to pick up on anything monumental.

"Its...its just a blimp." the blue one finally spoke. Knuckles was pretty sure he could hear the shrug in Sonics voice. "Nothing but a blimp that's all." he repeated once more. A blimp that looked outdated even. Swallowing he lifted up the machine again to reveal what he was looking at. Enlarging the image with careful strokes to the tuner. It looked armed, cannons hung below the main deck. Slack with the lack of use. Once more the armed bots were in play. Standing every few feet along the railings. The large insignia that made up Eggmans logo was plastered on the side as well. As if they hadn't known who it belonged to. "No shame does he." Knuckles grumbled, scoffing at the blunt nature of their enemy.

"Heh, he may have no shame but he has no brains either. That man is on the craft." the other commented.

Sure enough there he was. Standing in the blurry laced windows just at the cabin's windows. Why was eggman getting on that ship? Shouldn't the captain be roaming the halls of his mother base right now? Tails tapped his chin at thought at this. Where was it he was going...

"The pops is gone and the house is empty...Maybe if I..."

"No! Don't even think about it Sonic. Its to dangerous right now for you to-"

"But he is gone Tails. G-O-N-E. What better time then now will we have to sneak in?" he asked from the other side. Voice demanding even with the howling of the ghoulish winds. Knuckles could already sense the on coming intentions of the blue hedgehog. What a ignorant fool...

"Yea Sonic, he is gone. Which means something is off. The Bossman just doesn't leave his lair unless he knows he's won...but won what." he drifted, falling pray to another train of thought which left him oblivious to the darkening screen in front of them. Sonic having lowered the binoculars which of course left them blind. Knuckles stepped in then, pushing past Tails who grunted in an effort to keep from stumbling.

"Sonic I swear, you step one foot into that valley and i'll pumble your face in!" he threatened, speaking fully into the microphone. "We all agreed on the plan and you cant just going around breaking it up." it felt like he was talking to an unresponsive wall however. For the image before them completely went black. The only thing hinting that Sonic was still there was the sounds still hazing through the headphones that Tails had loosely hanging around his neck.  
"Yea, we all agreed I know. But we didn't know that he wasn't going to even be here either. We didn't know that this place was even his. I cant just turn around while the chances for success are so good." he explained. The curt thunk caused both pairs of eyes to widen.

"Hey! Sonic, Hey!" the other called, frantic for something but receiving nothing. How could he of been so stupid! He should of seen that glint of unspoken knowledge in those bright green eyes. Should of recognized the signs when they were laid out so simply , like an open book. Hissing in hurt over it he sighed, "You were never planning on coming back...were you Sonic."

..."No." short, the only reply they had before the communication went dead.

* * *

Well, that took longer then I thought. But hazaa!  
I hope there isn't to many mistakes. I quickly proof read this but I just wanted to get it posted for you guys. I know i'm breaking my two for two rule already but it's been a bit to long since my update.

Anywho, here is chapter five and you know the drill. I plan to have the next two out In a few days. Hopefully lol


	6. Why Doesn't he Listen

Alright, as promised the story is starting to pick up. Enjoy the ride dears!

Also, I would like to start adding shout outs now that I am getting a few more reviews/followers. So here we go!

**Mystery Guest: **I hope that you are still as excited as the last time I heard from you. ^_^ Thank you first reviewer

**doomxdesire94: **Thank you for your lovely likes! I was hoping that they weren't to far off the ban wagon..I always have a fear of making the characters OOC. Yes, an evil Eggman with a helping of humor seemed fitting. I for one took to that blunt stare when ever he would make some screen time on the games or shows so I was hoping to make him more intimidating. Anywho thank you for the Review! Always appreciated!

**EclipseWithTheMoprhs: **I know we already discussed this through PM but I just wanted to thank you again for your insight!

**The followers: **I wont give names unless you wish me to but thank you for taking enough interest to keep up with this story! Overall I like getting everyone's opinions, watchful eyes. Its encouraging!

**Also if I missed anyone shoot me a reminder! I will edit and add you to my list of awesome groupies! I was hanging on the edge of sleep when finishing this chapter...again ^^;**

**Disclaimer:I ORANGEBOXFOX, Does not own Sonic the hedgehog. Or that would be awesome xD**

* * *

**Chapter 6  
Why doesn't he listen..**

* * *

No sooner had the transmission been cut free from its bonds did the two companions jump into action. They took no time hesitating when it came to shoving each other through the threshold of his office door and out into the house itself. Stumbling down the hallways, pushing off of walls, crashing into the garage. Tails barely stopped in time to grab his gear before swinging the outside door closed with a slam. Knuckles was already heaving himself up into an air craft. No time to waste.

There was to much ground to cover with to little time. A race they were probably doomed to loose against from the start for knowing the blue hedgehog he was probably already causing trouble. Dipping into the adrenaline of danger by taking the fortress Eggman had erected head first and alone. Tails tried not to think about it as he stabbed the keys into the ignition and twisted it to the right, the engine purring to life in a smooth rumble that reverberated against his shins. He tried not to picture what sort of chaos that fool was getting himself caught into right now this very second.

Once the air craft shuddered awake. Suspending itself a mere few feet of the ground with the built in lifters Tails turned. "Hold on Knuckles, we're got a race ahead of us and its going to be brutal." he stated, quirking his lips up out of excitement despite himself. "You know, I wasn't worried till you started smiling like that Tails.." the one in question grumbled, puckering his snout in a frown. Tails couldn't help it though, this was the first time he has driven this bad boy. Well aside from just doing maintenance practice runs on it Tails had never had a use for the plane really. It was almost a coincidence that Knuckles picked this plane out of his small collection to clamber up. Perhaps its shape is what gave it way? Whatever the case it was obvious that his companion was raring to go. Pulling on a pair of old goggles that he has swiped off of a work table. Situating them into place he directed a pointed stare towards Tails. Asking silently why they weren't leaving just yet.

He had four different aerial vehicles. One built for muscle. A tankish green vehicle that was equipped with an impressive arsenal of weapons. There was of course old faithful, Tails favorite. He had also built a mild blue plane meant to cart around supplies though it could also dub as a long distance flyer. Hold multiple passengers with ease as it provided a single room meant for resting as well as healing. The last however, was built all on speed. It looked more or less like a glorified starship from those ridiculous cartoons the kid cubs would watch on main street back in town. Standing for hours while waiting for their mothers to finish shopping the kiddos stayed occupied with sitting on the side walk to watch the televisions through the shopping windows. Some sort of model right out of a fantasy sci fi movie almost is what Knuckles had thought when he had first seen the feeble thing. It was lean, wings built thin and angle to allow top wind durability. The body itself was curved and small in comparison to the others. Agile like a soaring hawk this thing could turn on a dime in seconds. Jump from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye while weaving some mad acrobatics. Its wings Tails had explained to him were able to tuck in so making tight turns or corkscrews were made easy. A set of four lifters set nestled along the air crafts belly as well as its elongated limbs. These were supposed to boost the plane up or back, left or right, down and up like a blast of turbo being ejected. Sometimes it would even leave shimmering after images or "Rings" as he mentally called them. The trails left only a preview as to what had just passed over head. It was an open cabined plane, so no bullet proof glass either. Hell, there wasn't even a gun on board Knuckles noted as the red plane glided out from its prison to drift over open grass. Nothing to weigh it down or hold it back he realized.

"Hold on Knuckles!" Tails warned, ducking his head and tucking his ears he braced himself before..._BAM!_

They shot off.

The blast of sudden speed was almost enough to knock the surprised passenger out of his seat to plummet to the ground already far below. Hissing a string of obscenities the red furred creature fumbled forwards until he was able to hook his arms around the others middle. While any other time he would of been embarrassed to be the one clinging to the little pup he had no time to worry over his personal ego. Instead he merely squinted into his own pair of goggles against the raging wind. No wonder Sonic had been so excited when Tails had first hinted at creating this monster of a plane. Being the fastest animal around he no doubt saw it as a personal challenge. A chance to see if something could keep up and maybe..just maybe even surpass him. Tails was more then willing to try the thing out with a race once it had its wings but as expected he had lost. None the less Sonic was impressed once it was all said and done, despite never truly admitting to it. He was more or less embarrassed that he had tripped up and sent himself careening down hill through bramble while getting distracted with the way the plane had moved. They collectively teased him over it for a few weeks after it. In fact it still made Knuckles laugh. He thinned his mouth out in attempt to prevent himself from doing so now. Instead he smothered his nausea with a bit more effort. Just his luck to be riding on a mechanical beast meant to blow away the stars straight from their high perches when he was inadequate..motion sickness. His brows slowly fell flat as he realized that looking anywhere would prove to be hazardous. No, it wasn't crippling really for he had after all driven his own air craft once in a million ugly days ago. But it sure as hell gave him a rather ugly stomach problem. Sweaty palms, nervous jitters. Knuckles wasn't meant for being a bird, if he had been he would of been born with wings. Like some of the other animals inhabiting their lands. No in stead he was far more content to spend his days leisurely strolling through the grass or down the cobblestoned paths. Enjoy the freshly rained winds blowing against his fur while keeping the Master Chaos Emerald company until the end.

Finally gaining enough confidence Knuckles loosened his hold from the oblivious fox. Now that he was used to the steady speed he didn't feel the need to cling like a blubbering baby so he leaned out. Only a little of course which was enough. The ground ripping in a blur of different hues. The grass reflecting the moon which hung solemn above their heads. If he wasn't able to tell that that was green down there instead of blue he would of thought they were flying over the ocean for a moment. Which of course was also impossible. No way would Sonic of taken a route that led him any where near the fluid. Not even if it was a mere river. The animal couldn't swim. Couldn't swim out of a bowl of water if the time called for it even. When he took to the water he flailed around like a cat having a seizure or something. It had been funny, was still funny. But there were a few times when they were all wrapped up in the midst of battle that one of their enemies would take notice. Herd Sonic around until it was to late. Corner him before tossing the hedgehog out like a stone to bounce over the surface before, _bloop_..gone from sight.

Just like now, gone from sight leaving them blind in the dust from his wake. Damn idiot...

* * *

Various banks, bursts, and dives later they had finally come across the very location they were looking for. It was far more daunting in person then over the small camcorder that had been attached to Sonic's binoculars. Tails had steadied the plane. Not a close distance to the ground either or should they say the tittering edge of the sudden drop cliff! Tails shimmied over a bit so he could look down. It was a long drop in deed..one that if not practiced enough could kill someone.

Yet the someone they were looking for would of made it without a scratch. The tactic he used which was common for a hedgehog..the rolling. Sonic was able to curl into a defensive ball when he was threatened. Blast at high speeds of course but this allowed him to pierce through barriers or barrel through attacks. Or avoid Amy when she was determined to smash his skull in over something. Both Tails and Knuckles felt envious over his instinctive ability to know when the pinkette was near by. He would stop in mid sentence just to book it out the back door and into oblivion.

He sort of wished she was here to flush him out..

"Well, we defiantly know this is the..right, place." Tails chimed in, swallowing over a lump in his throat. If the large insignia glaring at them from the face of the metal building wasn't enough of a hint them the chunks of strewn robotics scattered along the area should of been. It looked like Sonic had caused them quite a bit of ruckus. Some of the thinner bodied droids could barely be seen from here. Occasionally a leg was draped over a railing or a tattered frame crumpled on the ground. A model that they both recognized was even present. Well of course not actively present but there all the same. The rounded hulk of them middle laying against walls or splayed out as if they had been blown aside but a gust of hurricane worthy wind. The larger ones that Tails had warned the other about? Only one of them was spotted amongst the wreckage but the blue speed star had no doubt attempted to take them out. Or sneak past them with his speed. Probably dashing quickly between pillars or pouncing along railings.

"What a freaking mess.." he commented, pointing upwards and drawing the yellow foxes eyes away from below. A spout of smoke rose from one of the tower bases. If he squinted he was pretty sure he could see a down light post, bent in its neck where it lay forgotten amongst bits of metal and wires. If he didn't know better Tails could assume that a few blasts were shot towards the wall there. Probably hoping to smash the hedgehog before he invaded their masters territory.

This wasn't what disturbed the fox however. It was the lack of alarms, creatures buzzing around, missiles launching..the action. It was _dead silent.._

In fact what remaining workers Eggman had to spare were slowly picking up. Occasionally peeking out from a wall or away from a bridge railing with arms full of their fallen comrades. This wasn't the state that an enemy base was in when being invaded..  
So in this case, the ambush had already been taken care of.

"I don't see Sonic." the red furred animal whispered, echoing the exact thoughts of his companion. That's right, where was Sonic? As the realization set in Tails could feel his stomach drop down into his shoes in a goopy puddle. Sonic couldn't of passed them on their way here could he? Turning in his seat the blonde looked the way they had come. Almost hoping that he would see Sonic standing there smiling at them with that enthusiastic grin of his. Waving like a child who was trying to get its parents attention so that he could show them a job well done. _"Look what I did mommy, isn't it pretty.."_

Yet there was no such thing.

Flicking his ears back Tails whined, squeezing his fingers un easily into the rubber grip of the gliders handles. Knuckles moved his eyes down towards the pair of shaky hands, his frown deepening. See what you did Sonic? Making people worry and such..."Bank to the right Tails. We should look around, see if we can find something." he ordered, tapping at the right handle to get the other's attention. It appeared to work for the fox jumped with a squeak. Shaking his head while tilting his body in the directed direction. It was the only thing that seemed plausible. Otherwise they could risk getting captured as well by...no, Sonic wasn't captured was he?

Not a chance! He was to fast of course! Those silly robots couldn't process quick enough to even see an image of the blue hedgehog much less catch him.

Or at least this is what he was telling himself as they drifted up towards the ugly grey cloud line. Circling around the large almost castle like fortress for some sort of hint as to what really occurred here. What direction they should take in hopes of finding their own way in..

* * *

Well that was a bit short..  
The next chapter should be one of the more exciting ones. With some good ol' Sonic rushing destruction!...or I hope. ^^' I was never good at writing action scenes but I hope to get it finished up soon so I can post it.

Anywho you know the drill, R&R if you so please! I love to hear from ya :P

P.S: Forgive me for any hideous typos. I'll come back and re proof these chapters when I get the chance.


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